Government: Page 126
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MedPAC recommends quality measure consolidation
In its June report, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission also refined its previous suggestions for freestanding emergency department payments.
By Tony Abraham • June 18, 2018 -
Payers moving to value-based care faster than expected
Insurers can take a while to implement programs, however, with 21% needing 18 months and 13% requiring up to two years or more, according to a survey from Change Healthcare.
By Les Masterson • June 18, 2018 -
Chicago health system says hospital star ratings not accurate
Rush University Medical Center researchers said CMS unfairly relied too much on some measures in its ratings program.
By Les Masterson • June 18, 2018 -
Deep Dive
Fight for mandated nurse-to-patient ratios heats up
Nurses point to research suggesting mandatory staffing ratios in California helped improve patient health outcomes. The hospital industry, however, remains resistant, citing staff shortages and other roadblocks.
By Tony Abraham • June 15, 2018 -
Leapfrog pans CMS rule rolling back some quality reporting measures
The group that advocates for hospital quality said the change to the Inpatient Quality Reporting Program would be a blow to transparency and would reduce penalties for errors and infections.
By Les Masterson • June 15, 2018 -
Fitch says Medicaid cost growth likely to force states to cut programs
The ratings agency reported that healthcare costs for states have increased more than $300 billion since 2005, and will only grow in the next decade.
By Les Masterson • June 14, 2018 -
Bruce Bennett via Getty Images
Healthcare megadeals seen as more likely after media merger ruling
Most see promise in the parallels with the AT&T-Time Warner decision letting a vertical merger go forward and the pending CVS-Aetna and Cigna-Express Scripts pacts.
By Tony Abraham • June 14, 2018 -
Alex Wong via Getty Images
Federal appeals court denies insurers billions in risk corridor payments
In the lawsuit brought by Moda Health, the court ruled the program "lacks the trappings of a contractual agreement."
By Tony Abraham • June 14, 2018 -
Loosening scope of practice rules could improve care and costs, report argues
Two healthcare economists suggested cutting policies that mandate supervisory and formal collaborative practice agreements.
By Les Masterson • June 14, 2018 -
Medigap plans rise in popularity but coverage geographically sparse, AHIP says
A new report from the insurance lobby found more than 13 million beneficiaries have a Medigap plan.
By Les Masterson • June 13, 2018 -
Deep Dive
New Medicare Advantage rules hold big potential for pop health
A CMS rule taking effect this week lets payers offer benefits like ride-hailing and nutrition support to boost health.
By Meg Bryant • June 13, 2018 -
CMS again postpones hospital star ratings update
Providers have been wary of report cards, and hospital groups lauded the agency's decision to delay the update.
By Tony Abraham • June 13, 2018 -
FDA mulls new incentives to stem antimicrobial resistance
The agency is working on smoother approval pathways for new products and proposing new reimbursement models to account for limited use.
By Suzanne Elvidge • June 13, 2018 -
CMS sets goals to tackle opioid crisis
The plan calls for greater data transparency and interoperability and use of the Medicare heat map to pinpoint areas that can benefit from targeted safe prescribing efforts.
By Meg Bryant • June 12, 2018 -
Wide spectrum of patients see better outcomes at academic medical centers, study finds
Authors of the Health Affairs report said they were surprised that even among less sick patients, the centers had better outcomes.
By Les Masterson • June 11, 2018 -
Fixing provider directories a low-risk way to test blockchain, report suggests
UnitedHealth, Humana and Quest Diagnostics are among those working on a pilot blockchain project to update provider directories.
By Les Masterson • June 11, 2018 -
ED visits increased nearly 10% in California after ACA
A Health Affairs study also found the chance of a Medicaid enrollee being a frequent ED user was "significantly lower" after the Affordable Care Act was signed into law.
By Les Masterson • June 8, 2018 -
DOJ argues ACA pre-existing condition, individual mandates unconstitutional
The Trump administration said that with Congress zeroing out the penalty starting in 2019, the health law's individual mandate, community rating and guaranteed issue provisions cannot stand.
By David Lim • Updated June 8, 2018 -
Reduction in hospital-acquired conditions saved $2.9B over 2 years
An Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality report found improved patient safety in 2015 and 2016 prevented about 8,000 deaths.
By Les Masterson • June 7, 2018 -
Study raises concerns about Medicaid managed care's narrow networks
A Health Affairs report said states need to make sure that physician turnover in narrow network plans doesn't create issues with doctor continuity for vulnerable populations.
By Les Masterson • June 7, 2018 -
BIO18: FDA to issue guidance on cell and gene therapy in July
Commissioner Scott Gottlieb also said the industry needs to move toward continuous manufacturing of these treatments.
By Lisa LaMotta • June 7, 2018 -
NIH lays out strategic plan for evolving field of data science
In particular, it points to the rapid growth of EHR and genomic data.
By Meg Bryant • June 6, 2018 -
Bucking national trend, Pennsylvania payers seek modest exchange premium hikes
While many states worry there will be less competition in the individual market next year, Pennsylvania is seeing an uptick of participation in the exchange.
By Les Masterson • June 6, 2018 -
Medicaid expansion improved care access and coverage, analysis finds
More than 30 states have expanded Medicaid under the ACA, and a few more will have the issue up for a vote this fall.
By Les Masterson • June 6, 2018 -
Mandatory CMS bundles showed advantages over voluntary initiatives, report finds
A Health Affairs report found mandatory and voluntary bundled payment models "engaged different types of hospitals."
By Les Masterson • June 6, 2018
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